Holding apparatus for fasteners

ABSTRACT

A holding apparatus for a fastener ( 40 ) includes a board ( 10 ) and a holding member ( 30 ). The board defines at least one hole ( 12 ) for receiving the fastener. The holding member is attached to the board. At least one resilient arm ( 34 ) is formed on the holding member adjacent to the at least one hole for supporting the fastener.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to holding apparatuses, and moreparticularly to a holding apparatus for conveniently retaining anddetaching fasteners.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

In many devices or apparatuses, such as computers, screws are often usesas convenient mounting means to secure elements to the devices orapparatuses. However, in operation of the devices or apparatuses,vibration often has the screws loosing from the devices of apparatuses.After long-time vibration, the screws would be detached from the devicesor apparatuses. If the screws disengage from the devices or apparatuses,the loss of the screws would result in inconvenient reinstallation ofelement to the device for finding same type of screws.

What is needed, therefore, is a holding apparatus for convenientlyretaining and detaching spare fasteners easy to use after the screws ona device are lost.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

A holding apparatus for a fastener includes a board and a holdingmember. The board defines at least one hole for receiving the fastener.The holding member is attached to the board. At least one resilient armis formed on the holding member adjacent to the at least one hole forsupporting the fastener.

Other advantages and novel features will be drawn from the followingdetailed description of a preferred embodiment with attached drawings,in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded, isometric view of a holding apparatus for sparefasteners of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, theholding apparatus including a board, and a holding member;

FIG. 2 is an isometric, view of the holding member of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an assembled, isometric view of the holding apparatus of FIG.1;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a holding apparatus for holding a plurality offasteners, such as screws 40, includes a board 10 and a holding member30. Each screw 40 includes a head 42 and a post 44.

A pair of L-shaped hooks 16 is formed down aligning along a verticaldirection on the board 10. A resilient tab 18 is formed between the twohooks 16. An extending direction of the resilient tab 18 is opposite tothat of the hooks 16. A free distal of the resilient tab 18 is bent outat some angle. The board 10 defines a plurality of holes 12 at bothsides of the hooks 16. The holes 12 are aligned along verticaldirection.

Referring also to FIG. 2, the holding member 30 includes a body 32 and adeformable mechanism. The mechanism includes a plurality of resilientarms 34. The body 32 includes a front wall 322, and a pair of side walls324. The front wall 322 defines two rectangular openings 3224corresponding to the hooks 16 of the board 10, and a securing opening3226 corresponding to the resilient tab 18 of the board 10. A width ofeach opening 3224 is generally equal to a width of the correspondinghook 16. The resilient arms 34 are respectively formed on opposite sidewalls 324 of the body 32. Each resilient arm 34 has an operating portion344 at a distal end. An arcuate receiving space 342 is defined at aproper portion of each resilient arm 34.

Referring also to FIG. 3, in assembling the holding member 30 to theboard 10. The hooks 16 are positioned into the corresponding openings3224 of the holding member 30. The resilient tab 18 is pressed towardthe board 10 by the front wall 322 of the holding member 30. The holdingmember 30 is pushed up, until a bottom edge of each opening 3224 abutsagainst a bottom end of the corresponding hook 16 of the board 10. Thesecuring opening 3226 just moves over the resilient tab 18 of the board10. The resilient tab 18 rebounds to the original form. The free distalof resilient tab 18 abuts against a top edge of the securing opening3226. The holes 12 of the board 10 are in alignment with thecorresponding resilient arms 34 of the holding member 30. Thus, theholding member 30 is secured to the board 10.

In securing one of the screws 40 into the board 10, one of the resilientarms 34 of the holding member 30 is pressed down. Then, thecorresponding hole 12 of the board 10 is revealed. The post 44 of thescrew 40 is inserted into the corresponding hole 12 of the board 10. Thehead 42 of the screw 40 abuts on the board 10. When the resilient arm 34is released, the resilient arm 34 rebounds to the original position. Thehead 42 of screw 40 is received in the receiving space 342 of theresilient arm 34. Then the screw 42 is retained on the board 10 with theholding member 30. The other screws 40 can be retained on the board 10in the same way. When the screws 40 are needed, the resilient arms 34 ofthe holding member 30 are deflected down. The screws 40 then can beremoved from the board 10.

In this description of a preferred embodiment, the board 10 can be setin or be one part of a machine for providing spare fasteners. The screws40 can be assembled in different specs for needed. The securing methodof the holding member 30 with the board 10 is not exclusive.

When the holding apparatus is used as in the description of a preferredembodiment, a holding member of the holding apparatus is secured to aside panel of a computer for holding a plurality of spare screwsthereon. When an expansion card or any functional drive is added in thecomputer, an assembler can conveniently get a screw from the holdingapparatus to secure the expansion card to the computer.

Furthermore, the screws 40 and the holding member 30 can be utilized asa securing apparatus for securing electronic devices behind the board10, for example, a securing apparatus for securing disk drives in abracket of a computer. The bracket has a base and a pair of side boards10 extending perpendicularly from opposite sides of the base. The diskdrives are mounted between the side boards 10. The holding member 30 andthe plurality of screws 40 are mounted outside one of the side boards10. The disk drive defines holes for receiving the posts 44 of thescrews 40. Thereby, assemblers can conveniently assemble the screws forsecuring the screws to the disk drives without orientating the screws byhand.

It is to be understood, however, that even though numerouscharacteristics and advantages have been set forth in the foregoingdescription of a preferred embodiment, together with details of thestructure and function of the preferred embodiment, the disclosure isillustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially inmatters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principlesof the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad generalmeaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

1. A holding apparatus for a fastener, comprising: a board defining atleast one hole for receiving the fastener; and a holding member attachedto the board, and at least one resilient arm formed on the holdingmember adjacent to the at least one hole for supporting the fastener. 2.The holding apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein a hook is formedon the board, and the holding member defines an opening corresponding tothe hook.
 3. The holding apparatus as described in claim 2, wherein thehook is generally L-shaped.
 4. The holding apparatus as described inclaim 3, wherein a width of the opening is generally equal to a width ofthe hook.
 5. The holding apparatus as described in claim 4, wherein aresilient tab is formed on the board, an extending direction of theresilient tab is opposite to that of the hook, and a securing opening isdefined in the board corresponding to the resilient tab.
 6. The holdingapparatus as described in claim 5, wherein a free distal end of theresilient tab is bent at some angle.
 7. The holding apparatus asdescribed in claim 1, wherein the resilient arm is formed on a side ofthe holding member.
 8. The holding apparatus as described in claim 7,wherein an operating portion is formed on the resilient arm.
 9. Theholding apparatus as described in claim 7, wherein a receiving space isdefined in the resilient arm for supporting the fastener.
 10. A holdingapparatus for fasteners, comprising: a board defining a plurality ofholes for receiving the fasteners; and a holding member attached to theboard, the holding member comprising a deformable mechanism urging thefasteners to be retained in the plurality of holes of the boardrespectively, wherein when the deformable mechanism is deformed, thefasteners are ready to be taken from the board.
 11. The holdingapparatus as described in claim 10, wherein a hook is formed on theboard, and the holding member defines an opening corresponding to thehook.
 12. The holding apparatus as described in claim 11, wherein awidth of the opening is generally equal to a width of the hook.
 13. Theholding apparatus as described in claim 12, wherein a resilient tab isformed on the board, an extending direction of the resilient tab isopposite to that of the hook, and a securing opening is defined in theboard corresponding to the resilient tab.
 14. The holding apparatus asdescribed in claim 13, wherein a free distal end of the resilient tab isbent at some angle.
 15. The holding apparatus as described in claim 10,wherein the deformable mechanism comprises a plurality of resilient armformed on opposite sides thereof.
 16. The holding apparatus as describedin claim 15, wherein a plurality of receiving space is defined in theresilient arm for receiving the fasteners.
 17. An operation systemcomprising: a board defining a plurality of holes therein along a sidethereof; a fastener removably receivable in each of said plurality ofholes, said fastener defining an operable head to allow user's operationthereon and said head exposable out of said side of said board when saidfastener stays in said each of said plurality of holes; and a holdingmember removably attachable to said side of said board, said holdingmember movable along said side of said board between a first positionthereof where said holding member engages with said fastener staying insaid each of said plurality of holes to block a removable path of saidfastener out of said each of said plurality of holes, and a secondposition thereof where said holding member moves away from said firstposition thereof to release said fastener for removal thereof.
 18. Thesystem as described in claim 17, wherein said head of said fastenerstaying in said each of said plurality of holes is operably exposablewhen said holder member is in said first position thereof.
 19. Thesystem as described in claim 17, wherein said holder member comprises adeformable mechanism movably extending toward said fastener staying insaid each of said plurality of holes so as to retainably urge saidfastener to stay in said each of said plurality of holes.